Food exports driving growth in Yongzhou

As a significant vegetable planting base and distribution center in China, Yongzhou, located in Central China's Hunan province, exports its high-quality fruits and vegetables to various regions worldwide, including Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia.

In recent years, Yongzhou has strategically developed its vegetable industry as a key and advantageous export-oriented sector, opening new avenues for modern agricultural growth.

From January to October, the city's vegetable exports reached 11.7 billion yuan ($1.6 billion), leading among prefecture-level cities in the country. The volume and value of vegetables supplied to Hong Kong accounted for 62.1 percent and 69.9 percent of the nation's totals, respectively.

Adjacent to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Yongzhou has established 121 designated vegetable bases for the Greater Bay Area, and 102 certified vegetable bases for Hong Kong and Macao, both ranking first in the province.

In May, Hunan introduced several policy measures to further support the high-quality development of Yongzhou's vegetable exports. These measures aim to create a more convenient and efficient vegetable export distribution system, streamline customs clearance procedures and reduce corporate logistics costs.

Through the Gongbei Port, a crucial land port connecting Zhuhai with Macao, fresh fruits and vegetables from Yongzhou can reach the Hong Kong market within seven hours. Also, they can reach most parts of the ASEAN market within 24 hours using various logistics methods.

Currently, Yongzhou has developed a diversified, multichannel production and sales connection and market expansion system, driven by leading foreign trade enterprises like Ririxing Biotechnology.

"Our vegetables are transported to Hong Kong by around 60 vehicles daily, with a total shipment volume of up to 800 metric tons. We also export to Southeast Asian countries, mainly Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia," said Zhu Xiliang, chairman of the company.

According to the city's agricultural and rural bureau, Yongzhou is the first city south of the Yangtze River and the fourth nationwide to be designated as a national-level demonstration city for the quality and safety of exported food and agricultural products. It has used innovation to implement a comprehensive, multi-level and grid-based quality control mechanism from "fields to markets".

haonan@chinadaily.com.cn